Diascia plant named ‘Sunjodiora’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Diascia  plant named ‘Sunjodiora’, characterized by its upright and mounding plant habit; long and strong flowering stems; early and long flowering period; numerous large orange red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Diascia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNJODIORA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant, botanically known as Diascia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunjodiora’.

The new Diascia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in St. Brides, Netherwent, Monmouthshire, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Diascia plants with long and strong flowering stems and large attractive flowers.

The new Diascia plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventors on Jun. 7, 2008 in St. Brides, Netherwent, Monmouthshire, United Kingdom with a proprietary selection of Diascia hybrida identified as code number d8792, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent and with a proprietary selection of Diascia hybrida identified as code number d714, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Diascia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in St. Brides, Netherwent, Monmouthshire, United Kingdom on Aug. 20, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Diascia plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in St. Brides, Netherwent, Monmouthshire, United Kingdom since Aug. 20, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Diascia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Diascia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunjodiora’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunjodiora’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Long and strong flowering stems.     -   3. Early and long flowering period.     -   4. Numerous large orange red-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Diascia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Diascia have longer flowering stems than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Diascia have larger flowers than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Diascia and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Diascia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in cold hardiness as plants of the new Diascia are more cold hardy than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the Diascia barbarae ‘Diaspritwo’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,017. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in St. Brides, Netherwent, Monmouthshire, United Kingdom, plants of the new Diascia differed primarily from plants of ‘Diaspritwo’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Diascia were upright whereas plants of         ‘Diaspritwo’ were outwardly spreading.     -   2. Plants of the new Diascia were larger than plants of         ‘Diaspritwo’.     -   3. Plants of the new Diascia had thicker flowering stems than         plants of ‘Diaspritwo’.     -   4. Plants of the new Diascia had larger leaves than plants of         ‘Diaspritwo’.     -   5. Plants of the new Diascia had longer inflorescences than         plants of ‘Diaspritwo’.     -   6. Plants of the new Diascia and ‘Diaspritwo’ differed in flower         spur color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Diascia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Diascia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunjodiora’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Sunjodiora’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Diascia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were four months old when the description was taken and five months old when the photographs were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Diascia hybrida ‘Sunjodiora’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Diascia             hybrida identified as code number d8792, not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Diascia             hybrida identified as code number d714, not patented -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks at 18° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 18 days at 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two             weeks at 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 18 days             at 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright plant habit; vigorous             growth habit; freely branching habit with numerous lateral             branches developing per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 38.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 48.5 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 31.6 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 4.4 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3.1 cm.         -   Texture.—Glabrous; longitudinally ridged.         -   Color.—Close to 144A tinted with close to 183C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.1 cm.         -   Width.—About 3 cm.         -   Shape.—Deltoid.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to N137B; venation, close to N137B. Developing and             fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B;             venation, close to 138B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 2.1 mm. Diameter: About 3.7 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Large single flowers arranged             on terminal racemes; flowers zygomorphic with five lobes             fused at the base and spurred; freely flowering habit with             about 20 flowers per raceme; flowers face outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering response and natural flowering season.—Early             flowering habit, plants begin flowering about three weeks             after planting; plants flower freely and continuously from             the spring into the fall in Japan.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five days on the plant;             flowers not persistent.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 8.1 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 1.8 cm by 1.9 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 4 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4.2 mm. Diameter: About 4.9 mm.             Shape: Spherical. Color: Close to 38B.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Corolla consists of five petals             modified into two upright banner petals, two lateral petals             and a larger lower lip petal. Banner lobe length: About             6.5 mm. Banner lobe width: About 8.8 mm. Lateral lobe             length: About 6.5 mm. Lateral lobe width: About 7.6 mm.             Lower lobe length: About 1.1 cm. Lower lobe width: About             1.1 cm. Banner and lateral lobes shape: Orbicular. Lower             lobe shape: Transversely broadly elliptical. Banner, lateral             and lower lobes apex: Rounded. Banner, lateral and lower             lobes margin: Entire. Banner, lateral and lower petals             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Spur             length: About 4.9 mm. Spur diameter: About 2.4 mm. Spur             orientation: Positioned towards the flower or pointed             inwardly. Color, banner, lateral and lower petals: When             opening, upper surface: Close to 37A. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 37B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to             35B; color becoming closer to N34B with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 35C. Spur: Close to 48B;             towards the apex, close to 12C.         -   Sepals.—Appearance: Five sepals fused into a star-shaped             calyx. Length: About 2 mm. Width: About 1.4 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature and             mature, upper surface: Close to 143A. Color, immature and             mature, lower surface: Close to 144B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1.9 mm.             Angle: Mostly erect. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to             143C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7.1 mm. Diameter: About 0.3 mm.             Angle: About 45° from the peduncle axis. Texture: Sparsely             pubescent. Color: Close to 138B tinted with close to 179A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number per flower:             About four. Stamen length: About 2.4 mm. Anther shape:             Bi-lobed, elliptic. Anther length: About 1.1 mm. Anther             color: Close to 7A. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 4A. Gynoecium: Pistil number per flower:             One. Pistil length: About 2.8 mm. Style length: About             1.2 mm. Stigma shape: Elliptic. Stigma color: Close to 4D.             Ovary color: Close to 144B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Diascia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Diascia have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Diascia have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Diascia     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Diascia plant named ‘Sunjodiora’ as illustrated and described. 